Process for deoxidation of copper



Patented Maria, 193? 4 2,098,063 mocrss roa nnoxrm'rror: F corran RenPerrin, Paris, France, assignor to Socit dElectrochimiedElectrometailurgie et des Aciries Electriques dUgine, Paris, France, a

- corporation of France No Drawing. Application June i, 1937, Serial 1No. 146,964. In France June 16, 1936 4 Claims.

It is already known to deoxidize copper by causing to act upon thismetal in the molten state various reactive substances which act toextract from the copper the oxygen which it contains,

5 in particular in the form of copper oxide.

The operation is efiected either by placing the molten metal in a heatedfurnace and by placing above a. deoxidizing flux or slag which is causedto act for the time necessary, or by introducingthe flux into thepouring jet oi; the copper or into the ladle into which the copper ispoured, or by causing the copper to flow through the molten flux placedin a crucible, or again by violently intermixing the liquid copper witha 5 flux or slag capable of absorbing the copper oxides, thisintermlxing being for example efiected by violently pouring the copperfor example in a large jet upon a slag molten in advance in the bottomofa ladle, the size of the jet and the 0 height from which the metal ispoured being such that the slag forms a.sort of emulsion in the metaland that the operation of deoxidation is almost instantaneous, accordingto the process previously patented by applicant for purifying 25 copperby violentintermixing of molten fluid slag and metal.

The present invention has for subject the appli-' cation ofmetaphosphoric acid to the deoxidation of copper by an operation of thekind of those 30 mentioned above. Metaphosphoric acid has been found infact to be a particularly active flux which permits in a short timeconsiderable quantities of oxygen to be extracted from molten copper.

.The employment of this substance may take place by any of the meansindicated above for the use of the usual fluxes. Metaphosphoric acid maybe put either in the solid state or in the liquid state into contactwith the copper.

Example 5 In a crucible, kgs. of copper was melted. The bath when formedhad an oxygen content of 0.20%. To the bath, 1 kg. of metaphosphoricacid was added and allowed to melt and to act on 10 the metal for about15 minutes. After this period 'of action the oxygen content of the metalhad fallen to 0.020%.

I claim:

1. Process for deoxidation of copper by the 15 action of a deoxidizingflux consisting in causing metaphosphoric acid to act upon a bath ofoxidized copper.

2. Process for deoxidation of copper by the action of a deoxidizing fluxconsisting in causing 2o metaphosphoric acid to act upon the moltencopper by putting it into contact in the solid state with the copper.

3. Process for deoxidation of copper by the action of a deoxidizing fluxconsisting in causing metaphosphoric acid to act upon the molten copperby putting it into contact in the liquid state with the copper.

4. Process for deoxidation of copper by the action of a deoxidizing fluxconsisting in causing metaphosphoric acid to act upon the molten cop perby violently intermixing the metaphosphoric acid and the copper.

RENE PERRIN.

